Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1887-09-14


1t was this item among many Others
that Charles Clayton. president of the
largest barking house in the city OF
ii lena - distant from NJ 'rlinvillc
about twenty milcs--read one orn-
ing while glancing over his paper. OF
course, being u banker, IL was only
natural that it should prove interest
ing to him. III, read j; over carefully
s veral times. then laid the paper
aside.
Somehow, after reading the account
OF the robbery, he felt strangencss
that he could not overcome. II did
not know just what il was. The damp
ness of the morning sent chill
through him that the cheerful fire in
the big granite CRATE could not drive
away. The misty rain seemed more
dismal than ever, and altogether
Charles Clayton was evidently in for
n severe case Of "blues." He triel to
interest himself in various ways; he
looked over all the choice works in his
luxuriously furnished library, but rhc
elegantly bound books with all their
gildcd titles proved uninteresting HIS
eyes rovcd about the walls and rested
uron paintings and bric-a-brac that
cost thousands of dollars. but il was
very plain to be seen that on this
particular morning they held no charm
for him. He picked up III, paper
again, and, behold. the report of the
robbery stared at him holder than
ever.
Ho threw the paper down with an
angry exclamation, and then, SEEM
ingly recovering his composure sonie-
what, said: "P ,haw! / don't know
what's the matter with me this morn
ing. I wonder if that item Las turned
me, or what the deuce is wrong with
mo. BIT thpt can't be IL. All the
Black Jacks in the country couldn't
gel into our bank If they worked q
year. no matter how skillful they
were. But something is wrong with
me this morning. don't know what
1t is" And then he relapsed into an
other fit of thinking. He sat IN this
manner for ut least fifteen minutes,
when he WIS aroused by a tap
ut tho door Shaking off his
drowsy air and wondering who
II could be that wantel to sec him so
early in the morning, he arose and
opened the door. Bat it proved only
to be James, his man servant, who had
come to announce his breakfast.
II won't go down to the dining room
this morning. james," he said. Just
bring me up cup of tea and some
dry toast"
James did as requested, and he sip
ped the tea and tasted the toast. but
like every thing else, it was all wrong.
The tea was like so much hot water
and the toast like chips, and so he put
1t d 'wn again. Then he fell TO mus
ing and thinking.
81 wonder what has ever become of
my brother John. 1shall never forget
him. II was just such n bleak, dull
morning. as this when / ordered him
from home. True no was Younger
t1uU Il, UuJ tUuiNi ntllb Y.
He acted so outragcously towards
poor father. He was so quick
tempered and never coulI stand much.
How wish ! could recall those cruel
words" II, wru e his hands and
shook convulsively. "Bu / couldn't
stand 1t any longer. He treated father
like Dig, and when he struck him.
We'll. | could forgive all but that.
True. father did drink. and when 1t
got the upper hand Of him lc grew
abusive. When we laid poor mother
away in tho village churchyard"--a
little sigh--'rhcrc was no getting
along with him. We wcrc all very
poor then. and tho circumstances wcrc
So Il l'rcnt
"rha was a terrible day when John
lcfI can not believe him guilty
Of nrnious crime. even though he
wa piick-tcmpcre,l. Father came
home IN an awful condition. and at
onoc became very abusive. 7 >tw that
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